Homa Bay professionals start talent centre to train, nurture youths

Youths in Homa Bay have been urged to join the newly started talent training centre and enhance their ways of becoming economically stable.

Some professionals from Homa Bay have begun a talent centre called Ramrod Ujuzi Talent Center at Riat trading centre in Kasipul constituency.

It is named Ujuzi, a Kiswahili word meaning talent, skill or knowledge which a person has in doing something.

The centre is expected to train and nurture the talents of youths who will join them.

Youths are expected to come together and get trained so that their talents are identified and nurtured.

School-going children are also expected to get trained when schools are closed.

For example, if a young person is identified to be good at drawing or has good handwriting, they are encouraged to continue practising it to enable them to become an architect or artist.

When the youth visit the centre, they are attended to by people who are trained in various professions such as engineering, teaching, journalism, art and craft, games, and music among others.

Speaking during the launch of the Ramrod Ujuzi centre, the Founder of the Center Ochieng’ Oreyo and the board member Serafina Odhiambo said they started the centre to fight the haemorrhage of talents among young people.

They argued that Homa Bay among other counties has a lot of talents which when nurtured can help youths become self-reliant.

Oreyo added that there are many youths whose talents have eroded due to the inability to identify and nurture them.

The centre will help them deal with the loss of talent.

“There is a high haemorrhage of talents among the youth not only in Homa Bay but the larger part of Kenya. We urge youths to join the centre to tap talents and nurture them,” Oreyo said.

He said the centre targets any youth who knows how to read and write.

This includes secondary, primary, college and university students.

Those who are undergoing basic education receive guidance on suitable future careers based on their ability.

This enables them to pursue viable courses when they join universities or tertiary colleges.

“Those who are talented in music are given musical instruments to play so that they gain more experience,” he added.

According to Oreyo, there are a number of professionals who will guide the youth in various fields of practice they are interested in.

Youths will be given an opportunity to practice in their areas of interest and develop them for economic benefit.

He said the centre will enable the youth to acquire knowledge for self-employment.

“We hope this is one way of addressing the shortage of unemployment among our youth. Youths will create jobs using their talents,” he added.

Odhiambo told youths who got grades like E or D- (minus), not to give up in life.

“People who score an E grade in exams are allowed to join because we know their talents can be identified and nurtured. We’re telling youths that life does not end by KCSE exams,” she said.